A Deadly Return
by Jamie's Spawn
Summary: POSTPONED Somebody long thought dead returns to Pine Valley to protect his honor. A thought as to who could have killed Michael Cambias.


A Deadly Return – Chapter One

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own 'em.

A/N: This is just a little theory as to who could have killed Michael Cambias. Just an idea I came up with and decided to turn into a "what if?" kind of thing. A face from the past returns to wreak havoc on the residents of Pine Valley once again. This is going to be a **very** dark fic, so beware! If you don't want to see graphic depictions of violence and death, this isn't the fic for you. 

There have been days when I had forgotten what the real world was like. Forgotten what it's like to have contact with other living people. It's a relief to know that I'm "presumed dead." Now I can strike the people of Pine Valley and they would have no idea what hit them. With any luck, they would all turn on one another. There would be no way they would suspect me of any crimes.

Ever since I had been exiled from the home and the people I know so well, I've been on the run. Living in the Pennsylvania wilderness, fending for myself. I roam the countryside, searching for a place to spend the restless nights. Trying to fight the constant lust for blood. The overpowering need to cause pain and sorrow. When I can't find efficient wildlife to feed my hunger, I wait alongside the busy highways, the hiking trails, the dark street corners. Waiting. Waiting for the familiar smell of blood to approach. Tonight was one of those nights. 

It was an unusually cold October night, even for Eastern Pennsylvania. Most of the forest critters were already burrowed away in their warm nests. I wrapped the deerskin coat I had acquired in my journeys closer to me. My bunny hide shoes helped to keep my feet from freezing. I waited in the shadows, sure to avoid the street lamp's orange glow as I waited for my next victim to show his or her face. I looked up into the sky to see a full moon masked by an eerie mist. My head snapped back to the road on instinct. I could hear footsteps in the distance. Getting louder. Pounding closer. I could already taste the blood in my mouth. Closer. In just a few seconds they would be within arm's length. My head was aching with anticipation. I almost couldn't stop the urge to pounce when a young woman stepped into the warm light before me. I had to take precautions. If she saw my face and got away it would foil my devious plan. I waited a while longer. Just long enough for her to reach the edge of the light. The minute she entered the darkness, I jumped.

At first she stopped when she heard me edge closer. As I drew near, right before I lost all reason, it seemed as if my eyes were shining through the darkness. I could sense s shiver of terror run up and down the girl's spine. Before she could take another breath, I was on top of her. Her panicked screams pierced the still night air, echoing off the abandoned forest just beyond the creek. But that didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. She fell to the ground, but I never released my grip on her. She struggled relentlessly. Trying with all her might to free herself from my wrath. I couldn't help but laugh. It amused me how foolish these townsfolk are. How they can't come to terms with the inevitable.

I raised my hand, ready to strike. My mind flooded with memories. This girl, whoever she is, is just about the same age as my daughter Jenny was the last time I saw her. She was my only weakness, and that is what got me where I am today. Years and years ago, I had set a bomb in the Martins' basement. When I learned that Jenny was inside the house, I had no choice but to take the explosive and run. It went off before I could be rid of it, and that is what led to my demise. I crawled on my hands and knees into the forest, where I nursed myself back to health. I still have the scars from the accident. To the people of Pine Valley, I was dead. That's their biggest problem. They don't wait for the evidence to prove what they *believe* to be true. Needless to say, there were little, if any mourners. I have the best reputation around these parts for being evil beyond belief. Just as they strive to be the best they can be, I strive to be the worst I could ever possibly be. I would do anything to defend what I have worked so hard to earn. Even if it meant going as far as murder.

It is, after all, what I have been sent here to do. If you don't cause pain, there is no gain. They don't know what it's like to have the knowledge that just the mention of your name can cause a grown man to cower. The adrenaline from knowing you call the shots, and there's nobody daring enough to stand up against you. The feeling you get from knowing there is little, if anything, holding you back. Just by knowing all this, it gives you the frame of thought to go for the big time.

Just as fast as these thoughts entered my mind, they disappeared. I focused back to the task at hand. It was way past my dinnertime, so I couldn't afford to waste anymore time. I was beyond redemption. The need to feed had taken over. My hand was still poised, ready for action. I swung at her. My claws swept across her smooth face. Left behind were four red streaks. It took a moment before the blood began to seep. Just the sight of this sent my senses into overdrive. I was now officially over the deep end. No way back. I leaned over her, sniffing the sweet scent of her perfume. She jerked her head back and forth, her blood matted hair gathering dirt from the small town road. She was struggling now more than ever. Causing her heart rate to go up. Her heart was pumping at record speeds, so now the blood was coming faster.

I inched closer to her face. I could feel her fast breathing. I lapped up some of the blood off of her cheek. By this time, I was in a state of ecstasy. The only thing on my mind was this fresh source of food in front of me. I couldn't take it any longer. I struck her again, this time with a deadly blow. The next events were in slow motion. In the seconds following, her head jerked backwards violently. I heard a crack and her body went limp in my arms. Her eyes became a blood red from the impact the blow had on the blood vessels inside her head. Her eyelids remained open, a creepy stare. The horrified look she had on her face in those last few moments remained there as if etched into stone. Without a moment's hesitation, I feasted.

~~

*~ The Next Night ~*

Reggie Porter entered his home around 8:45 the following evening. Things had gone quite swell throughout his day. That is, until he waited forty five minutes at the movie theater impatiently for a friend that never showed up. As a matter of fact, she hadn't been seen at all by anyone that day, and didn't return home the previous night. Reggie was getting worried. He went as far as calling her parents and asking if she ever stopped by before heading to the theater. Or if they heard anything, anything at all, from her. He learned that she was feeling stressed about certain issues, and needed some room to breath. She just needed time to clear her head.

She had gotten dressed and put on her running shoes. After a short but sweet word with her dad about staying safe, "because there's always some maniac out there, just waiting for the perfect opportunity," she was out the door. Her father remembered specifically the type of jacket and pants she had worn. He remembered how his wife had gotten a bad feeling and tried to persuade her to stay home. Of course she tried to assure her mom that everything would be fine, and she wasn't going to be gone for long.

Joni's dad had to put Reggie on hold when somebody called on the other line. Reggie waited, playing with the phone cord as scenarios began playing out in his head. Her dad came back, and sounded frantic. He told Reggie that there was a jacket found, covered in blood, and the description matched the one Joni had been wearing. She had some papers shoved in the pockets, all with the name "Joni Stafford" printed across the top.

~~

A/N: Can't say I didn't warn you. I love horror flicks, so it shows up. What did you think? Drop me a review, and let me know. Did you already guess who this mysterious forest creature is?


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